Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

Asean

Asean
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the Asean Declaration by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress and cultural development of its member states and the protection of regional peace and stability.
Hong Kong commerce chief Algernon Yau will lead a delegation of mainland Chinese and local firms to Malaysia. Photo: May Tse
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong commerce chief to lead joint local and mainland delegation to Malaysia

Algernon Yau says about 200 mainland enterprises have already set up offices in the city since last year to expand globally.

Thailand

Thailand looks to Siam Silica to propel it to top Asean semiconductor player

Myanmar

Can war-torn Myanmar finally realise its economic potential?

videocam
China-Japan relations

‘Ghosts of the 20th century’: how China and Japan clash over post-WWII narrative

In quest to win trust of Asian neighbours, Beijing is intensifying its rhetoric against Tokyo’s changing defence posture.

videocam
54
Amid an escalating diplomatic crisis, China and Japan are trying to define each other’s international identity. Photo: Shutterstock
Diplomacy

Why the UK is doubling down on Asean ties amid European reset

Observers say the move to engage Asean is less a policy reset than continuity in Britain’s post-Brexit engagement with the bloc.

videocam
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong urged to be ‘super partner’ in businesses’ overseas expansion push

Chinese General Chamber of Commerce chief Jonathan Choi says city should invest and operate abroad, while urging annual review of first five-year plan.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hong Kong economy

Food Expo vendors hoping for tasty profits with items such as caviar sake gelato

Abalone for HK$1, handcrafted caviar mooncakes and discounted coffee and milk tea packs among products at next week’s Food Expo.

Henry Poon of On Kee Dry Seafood says abalone for HK$1 will be offered as part of a game to attract customers. Karma Lo
Indonesia

Indonesia’s Prabowo eyes North Korea trip. But no one’s invited him

While a visit could boost Indonesia’s diplomatic clout, it also threatens to raise another outcry about Prabowo’s frequent flights.

Myanmar

Myanmar president heads to Thailand amid civil war at home

Thailand’s acknowledgement of Min Aung Hlaing’s legitimacy stems from a ‘straight up pragmatism’, analysts say.

videocam
Asian diaspora

Opinion | Why global migration data should recognise subgroups like the Teochew

Until our data systems see past broad labels like Asian or Chinese, and recognise subgroups, our picture of global migration is incomplete.

videocam
David Tran, a Teochew-Vietnamese refugee who settled in California, created the world-famous Sriracha sauce, turning a regional flavour profile into a global household staple. Photo: Griffin Hammond
The Philippines

Will Philippines’ push for seabed rights derail South China Sea code talks?

Analysts say Manila’s move could make it harder for Asean to agree on a common position regarding the code of conduct.

videocam
The Philippine delegation on the presentation of its partial submission concerning the country’s entitlement to an extended continental shelf, together with the members of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on July 29. Photo: Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs
Malaysia

Why Malaysia is urging global powers to uphold international law ‘consistently’

Analysts say the remarks are aimed broadly at powerful states as Southeast Asian nations seek stronger deterrence against coercion.

videocam
Myanmar

‘She is alive’: new Suu Kyi photos emerge as Myanmar junta faces pressure

In photos released by the president’s office, Suu Kyi is seen shaking hands with Arnaud de Baecque and cutting a birthday cake.

videocam
Malaysia

What Turkey’s upgrade to Asean dialogue partner status means

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan calls the development ‘of utmost importance’ in its relationship with Asia-Pacific countries.

Turkey’s Deputy Foreign Minister Berris Ekinci (right) poses for a photo with Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera Lim (centre) and Asean Political-Security Community Deputy Secretary General Astanah Abdul Aziz during a meeting on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on July 22. Photo: EPA
India

Ready player 3: India offers Asean a US-China alternative

India pitches trade, missiles and room to hedge as the US and China vie for regional influence.

8
Illustration: Huy Truong
China exports

Chinese motorcycle exports roar to record highs amid tech gains, upmarket push

Chinese makers drive into upmarket segment and catch up with foreign peers in design and engine development.

6
Diplomacy

Justice beyond borders: East Timor’s Myanmar case tests Asean diplomacy

The case, which alleges abuses in Myanmar’s northwestern Chin state, is now under consideration by the courts in Dili.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
South China Sea

‘Negotiation fatigue’ risks stalling South China Sea code of conduct progress

Efforts to finalise the code between Asean and China this year are hampered to a large extent by differences between Manila and Beijing.

videocam
16
Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Theresa Lazaro meets China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Pasay last Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong economy

80% of mainland Chinese firms eye Hong Kong as launch pad for Asean expansion

Trade Development Council research indicates that mainland firms are actively pursuing diversified footprints across Asean markets.

US-Asean relations

Inside America’s US$1.5 billion play for Southeast Asian energy

Gas exports and mini reactors serve US interests as much as Asia’s – provided promised projects actually lead anywhere.

United Nations

Asian scam gangs snare educated English speakers with fake job ads: UN agency

Victims from over 80 different countries are being trafficked into cross-border scams, the International Organisation for Migration says.

videocam
People from China, Vietnam and Ethiopia, believed to have been trafficked and forced to work in scam centres, are detained in Myawaddy district in eastern Myanmar on February 26, 2025. Photo: AP
The Philippines

EU’s US$17 million maritime aid for Manila targets ‘fault lines’

Analysts say the European Union considers Manila ‘the most important’ partner for its Indo-Pacific strategy.

videocam
4
Philippines Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro (left) and EU European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas pose for photos after signing the Enhanced Partnership between the Philippines and the European Union on the sidelines of the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting in Pasay City, on Friday. Photo: EPA
Artificial intelligence

AI competition heats up as US targets Southeast Asia’s public sector

Washington’s launch of AI Spark is seen as a move to counter Chinese AI models that have made inroads in Southeast Asia, analysts say.

China trade

Indonesia wants to move beyond raw materials. Will its China ties suffer?

Beijing and Jakarta enjoy unprecedented economic interdependence – but shifting priorities in Indonesia threaten to strain the partnership.

videocam
8
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong Shopping Festival eyes Asean expansion, with Singapore, Malaysia first

Third edition of annual e-commerce event has attracted a record number of local brands across mainland and Asean editions, organiser says.

videocam
Businesses have been urged to embrace e-commerce to diversify their market strategy. Photo: Jelly Tse
Bonds

Hong Kong’s Asean charm offensive bags US$1.5 billion Malaysian bond listing

Dual listing on Bursa Malaysia and HKEX comes as Hong Kong officials further expand financial ties beyond mainland China.

Bursa Malaysia, a Malaysian stock exchange and one of the largest in Asean, in Bukit Kewangan, Kuala Lumpur. Shutterstock
China-Latin America relations

Brazil turns to China trade deal after Trump tariffs, as years of resistance end

Xi and Lula agree to fast track Mercosur trade talks, endorsing a deal Brasilia fought to bury when Uruguay first proposed it.

videocam
North Korea

What North Korea’s ‘rare rebuke’ means for its Asean ties

Kim Yo-jong says Asean’s call for denuclearisation has ‘distorted the essence of the situation in the Korean peninsula’.

videocam
5
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement